WeConservePA has added new guidance to the WeConservePA Library. Additionally, WeConservePA has refreshed several previously published guides to bring them up to date and include newer best practices. New and updated guides include:
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Beneficiaries and Backup Holders: Providing Third Parties With Rights but Not Responsibilities Regarding Conservation Easements: A grant of conservation easement may provide one or more rights to a party other than the landowner and holder of the easement, in accordance with the needs and wishes of those involved with the easement transaction. Unlike for the easement holder, such rights received by the “beneficiary” do not come with obligations.
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Co-Holding Conservation Easements: Considerations for Good Management and Conservation Outcomes: A conservation easement may be granted to multiple entities. These holders of the easement are then each responsible for upholding the easement’s conservation objectives. The respective roles of the holders and their relationship to one another must be carefully delineated to achieve effective easement management and minimize potential conflict.
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Public Dedication of Land and Fees-in-Lieu for Parks and Recreation in Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania municipalities may require developers to provide parkland for new developments. They may also offer developers the option to instead pay fees, construct facilities, or establish private parkland.
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Who Has Standing? Conservation Easements in Pennsylvania Courts: Who can assert claims and be heard in Pennsylvania’s courts if a dispute heats up over the management of a conservation easement?
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Cost of Community Services Studies: Cost of Community Services studies examine both the tax revenues generated by different land uses and the costs to local government of providing services to those same uses. They help people understand the fiscal outcomes of keeping land in agriculture or as open space versus developing land for other purposes.
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Guide to the Conservation and Preservation Easements Act: Pennsylvania Act 29: Conservation organizations can avoid many potential difficulties in conservation easement stewardship by ensuring that their conservation easement documents are drafted to conform with the Conservation and Preservation Easements Act.
